Mark Kimmel

Itta Bena, MS

Meet Staplcotn farmer, Mark Kimmel. Mark farms with his father-in-law in Itta Bena, Mississippi, a small community surrounded by farm land nestled deep in the Mississippi Delta. This area provides its farmers with rich soils that formed from the deposits of silt, clay and gravel due to the rivers’ flow and thousands of years of flooding. It is known to be one of the most agriculturally productive regions in the world.

Preserving the land is an important part of Mark’s farming practices. Mark keeps his land healthy with fertilizers and uses minimum till practices, which assists with lessening soil erosions. Additionally, Mark rotates his crops to help build up the soil and assist in controlling weed pressure. “I was raised to respect the land because the land is what makes our living. You have to take care of it like you would a child,” he explained.

Farming is part of Mark’s DNA. His parents always farmed as did his grandparents. “I grew up working on my grandfather’s cotton farm. I realized when I was very young that all I wanted to do when I grew up was to farm cotton,” he remarked.

Mark became a member of Staplcotn in 1987 (his first crop) and has been with Staplcotn ever since. “They are professional, likeable and very trustworthy,” he said. “All the books are open and the company is very transparent.” Additionally, he has always been pleased with the results that Staplcotn gets when they market his cotton.

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Founded in 1921, Staple Cotton Cooperative Association (Staplcotn) is the oldest and one of the largest cotton marketing cooperatives in the United States. We provide a range of services to our members, including: domestic and export marketing; cotton warehousing; and agricultural financing, which is available through Stapldiscount, the lending arm of Staplcotn.